NBC News President Steve Capus apologized to managers of the network’s affiliated stations — not for deciding not to observe a moment of silence marking the 11th anniversary of 9/11 during Tuesday’s Today show, but for subjecting the stations to criticism for a decision they didn’t make. Today was the only one of the three network morning shows that didn’t participate in the observation. Instead Today broadcast an interview with Kris Jenner of Keeping Up With The Kardashians discussing her breast augmentation. Capus sent his memo to NBC Affiliate Corporation Group executives, the New York Times reported, and began by citing Today’s coverage of the attacks on American embassies in Libya and Egypt. Then he added: “Yesterday, we made an editorial call resulting in the Sept. 11 moment of silence not being seen. While we dedicated a substantial amount of airtime to anniversary events, we still touched a nerve with many of your viewers … and for that we apologize.”

24 Comments

lkw • on Sep 12, 2012 8:38 pm

I cannot wrap my mind around why you would have Kris Jenner on talking about her boob job!!! This family is trash, and not worth airtime… That is the reason I quit watching NBC TODAY because what you have done to Ann Curry, and for all the trashy people you have on the TODAY show! The TODAY show is a disgrace!

Pablo • on Sep 12, 2012 9:04 pm

It’s all the cross-promotion that many at NBCU are actually quite proud of. Kris’s boobs are very important! They’ll be silent for 9/11 next year.

aria • on Sep 13, 2012 9:18 am

The PR machine is in action – too little, too late. The issue for me isn’t so much that NBC chose not to cover the moment of silence (although it would have been nice). Scheduling an interview with the narcissistic Kris Jenner in that particular time slot was simply inappropriate. There are so many truly compelling stories of 9/11 heroes and survivors that could have been told, instead.

• on Sep 13, 2012 10:09 am

Stop reading my mind, lkw!! Well, okay, you can still read it if you continue to express is so succinctly… Carry on —

Morning News Critic • on Sep 12, 2012 8:50 pm

Wow. Could that “apology” have been any more emblematic of Network Weaseldom? Just say, “sorry, we let you down by going with breast enhancements over a solemn remembrance of a tragedy that haunts us to this day.” Right now, mark your calendar for 9.11.2013: “Broadcast 12th anniversary ceremony.” Keep it up, putz. With your sheer incompetence, even that bizarre bunch atGMA will push Today toward CBS Morning irrelevance.

Terrence • on Sep 12, 2012 9:12 pm

Even if this was a sincere apology, I wouldn’t buy it. You can’t apologize for this type of muck-up.

And NBC doesn’t care — which is why they did it in the first place so they could pretend to apologize in the second place.

I’m glad that GMA is finally #1. I hope they stay there.

Freedom Fries • on Sep 12, 2012 9:12 pm

A lot of brave troops died for our God-given right to watch mind-numbing reality shows. God bless the United States of Catatonia.

Eddie • on Sep 12, 2012 9:16 pm

To call Today a “news show” and then ignore such an important part of 9/11 to self promote one of it’s cable network shows is a joke. NBC owes the nation an apology for what it did. It seems like NBC can do nothing right, not the Olympics, not Prime Time, not Late Night, not anything. It’s sad how the former #1 network has fallen, this just shows how low. Lew Wasserman must be turning in his grave seeing what has happened to Universal.

It makes you wonder what would have happened to Disney if Comcast ended up controlling them instead of Universal years ago. GE made a big mistake letting Comcast take the reigns and this just proves it.

Jan • on Sep 12, 2012 9:32 pm

I had the interview with Kris Jenner on and didn’t realize that there was supposed to be a moment of silence. When I found out, I cringed — thinking that honor that was supposed to go to the remembrance of 9-11 was cancelled by the most inane and superficial guest that NBC could have had on the air. I’m ashamed for those at NBC who should have known better.

Paulo • on Sep 13, 2012 8:35 am

If you really thought that Kardashian was that annoying, you should’ve flipped the channel when they introduced her.

Glen • on Sep 12, 2012 9:55 pm

You stay classy Today Show!

artanis • on Sep 12, 2012 9:57 pm

FIRE STEVE CAPUS!!!…the arrogant putz apologizes to his “managers” because he “touched a nerve with many of your viewers”… how about to YOUR VIEWERS (dwindling by the moment) because you made a mistake as a result of your lack of respect and sensitivity …

• on Sep 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Yes they are cowards but even worse they are liars. They refused to apologize until they realized the horrible backlash they were getting yesterday they stood firm “no apology will be forthcoming” then today they refuse to reiterate why they omitted the ceremony.

They only covered the first moment of silence in 2002 then ignored the ones in 2003 and 2004 and 2005 then in 2006 they went Live for the 5th anniversary then ignored the ones in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 until 2011 last year for the 10th anniversary. So they don’t broadcast it every year. But they are too cowardly to acknowledge this.

Tick Tock • on Sep 12, 2012 10:46 pm

Steve Capus is incompetent and should be fired. His grimy hands were all over Ann Curry’s public humiliation, after which he continued to publicly insult her. NBC has a Titanic on its hands in The Today Show. It’s not going to comeback under the current production team and back stabbing Matt Lauer sitting in its anchor chair. GMA will increase its audience and solidify its #1 position in the morning show wars.

NBC is in trouble in the morning and Capus is a big reason for its predicament. He’s gotta go.

sparced • on Sep 12, 2012 10:53 pm

as long as one of the major broadcast networks covered it, what does it really matter?

at worst maybe it was insensitive because of the kardashians, but if it was important to someone you had two other networks to watch it on.

Terrence • on Sep 13, 2012 12:56 am

The fact that there were other outlets covering the moment of silence is not the point.

The point is the fact that a national news program couldn’t take five minutes to acknowledge one of the worst, most world-changing human tragedies of all time.

That’s even worse than the fact that their counterprogramming was a pointless Kardashian interview.

tellmehowthatgoes • on Sep 12, 2012 11:50 pm

What a smug asshole. And what a stupid choice he made. Is this the same guy who fired Ann Curry? Regardless, come on NBC. First you leave Jeff Zucker on the job way past his sell-by date, and now this clown —

Ron • on Sep 13, 2012 1:30 am

J. Fred Muggs is doing summersaults in his grave. Shame on NBC.

Rob • on Sep 13, 2012 2:30 am

The boneheaded move to air the Kardashians smells like it came from the lunkhead EP of Today who comes from the world of sports and who has turned the show into a classless non-stop carnival of cooking segments, cubic zirconia informercials and self-promotion for NBC. Capus was likely clueless until the furor started and only then did he exhibit his tin ear for good taste. Capus was probably expecting a promo for “Animal Hospital” during the moment of silence.

fliptopbox • on Sep 13, 2012 7:03 am

Can’t wait until CBS moves up to 2nd place…………

sammynews • on Sep 13, 2012 9:58 am

What is it with NBC’s fascination with the Kardasians??? For years the 8-8:10am segment was always hard news but months ago there was Kris Jenner talking about Kim’s divorce. And now America has to hear about Kris’ tits! WTF! (I stopped watching TODAY a few years ago.) The whole K family has Kim to thank for their 40M windfall from E! What a lesson for young girls: You too can become a celebrity by way of a sex tape. Murrows and Huntley and Brinkley (did I just date myself?) must be flipping in their graves. Just another sign of the impending apocalypse. I’ll stick to watching MSNBC.

sally • on Sep 13, 2012 10:47 am

Truly, an overpaid idiot. The network just keeps getting worse and worse. How could he make a call like that? Gross.

Aleric • on Sep 13, 2012 2:24 pm

Another reason I do not watch any of the alphabet networks, they are not news programs they are there to get ratings, news is secondary. To them a news event is Britanny Spears or Lagy Gagme wearing a bad dress, or which black celebrity the Kardashians are sleeping with.

Nid • on Sep 13, 2012 6:58 pm

Reading between the lines I guess Mr Capus clearly said “sorry folks, sorry you feel that way about our decision, but we here at Today will do whatever we want.